Robbie Thain
Founder, CEO
AI-generated illustrative image. Not an official campaign image.
Variety's 2026 summit signals a shift in experiential marketing from a budget line item to a core business strategy requiring strict operational discipline.
On Oct. 7, 2026, Variety and Outfront held the invite-only Experience and Culture Summit at The Penn District by Skylight in New York. The event brought together artists, brand CMOs, sports leaders, and media executives to discuss modern engagement. They gathered to examine how real-world experiences build fandom, fuel creativity, and prompt audiences to act. The summit featured marketing leaders from Snap, Canva, Ulta Beauty, and Instacart.
A central observation at the summit came from Jimmy Knowles, the global head of experiential at Canva. He stated that experiential marketing has gone from being a line item in a marketing budget to being the strategy. He added that brands are now writing the brief rather than merely receiving it. This highlights a deliberate shift in how marketing operators structure their overall market approach.
A panel featuring leaders from Snap, Kantar, and Outfront detailed how this shift works in practice. They described real-world media as a potential part of a connected media plan instead of a replacement for online media. Aarti Bhaskaran from Snap noted that brand awareness may start on social media. She explained that consumers then continue through an in-person experience before returning to social sharing.
This perspective positions live activations as a core foundation for complex marketing plans. The summit announcement clarified that there is no one-size-fits-all formula for reaching audiences through physical media. Paul Caine, president of On Location, reinforced this by stating that experiences influence purchasing and viewing decisions. He argued that these interactions are not a side benefit for modern brands.
The recap provided several diverse examples of how brands currently execute this strategy. It highlighted Canva’s annual Canva Create conventions as a primary case study for owned brand events. It also mentioned sports organizations using local watch parties to build community among fans. These examples demonstrate how different sectors adapt physical media to their specific business goals.
At Makai, we view this strategic shift as a necessary operational correction for the industry. For over thirty years, we have delivered carefully executed, face-to-face marketing experiences designed to capture attention and generate measurable sales pipeline. When an activation becomes the core strategy, it requires rigorous execution standards to succeed. CPG and beverage brands cannot afford to treat physical engagements as unmeasured brand theater.
We create experiential marketing programs built to connect emotion with action. Our process blends creativity, strategy, and data to ensure every brand interaction drives measurable results. We craft experiences that engage all five senses. This approach helps people not just see brands but feel them, turning moments into meaningful business outcomes.
Our exclusive focus on the nuances of CPG, food, and beverage sectors informs how we manage these campaigns. Brands in these categories face intense pressure to prove Return on Investment through qualified pipeline rather than vanity metrics like badge scans. Our methodologies for high volume roadshows, events, and trade shows are designed to maximize that pipeline. We ensure that your strategy translates directly into retail sell-through and retailer confidence.
A Director of Brand Strategy in the CPG snack division shared: "The Makai team turned our product launch into a sensory event that shoppers still talk about. From creative storytelling to flawless in-store execution, they made snack time unforgettable. We couldn't have asked for a stronger partner." Our team created an in-store experience that left a lasting impression on consumers and became a memorable brand moment.
Through our Retail Demonstrations service, trained brand ambassadors drive in store sales through real conversations and product trials. This direct consumer engagement prevents the scattered attention that plagues poorly managed product launches. When brands treat field marketing as a central strategy, they stop handing out unmeasured keepsakes and start building relationships. The focus shifts entirely toward securing retail placement and proving incrementality at the register.
Moving an experiential program to a core strategy creates immediate pressure on field logistics. At the summit, Nick Brien, the CEO of Outfront, described the agentic age. He argued that brands need to rethink how they engage human consumers and reach bots as commerce changes. This shift requires a level of field oversight that goes beyond simply setting up a basic event footprint.
A scattered approach to trade show footprint flow quickly compromises the entire revenue strategy. We often see brands struggle to measure real ROI from live events when they lack a controlled physical environment. Through our Consumer Events service, we design memorable live experiences that bring brands and people together through interaction, emotion, and engagement. We manage the complex event logistics, permits, and staffing to ensure these interactions remain highly focused.
We eliminate low quality leads from crowded trade shows by executing Promotional Campaigns that connect digital and real world touchpoints. This structure boosts visibility and sparks meaningful brand conversations. Our teams plan and manage trade show spaces that attract attention, start conversations, and convert visitors into customers. By treating the physical footprint as a deliberate data capture environment, we secure the exact outcomes that senior leadership demands.
The strict integration of physical and digital touchpoints demands clear data routing. When consumer traffic increases rapidly, relying on untrained store staff to manage sudden crowds often causes poor booth flow. We launch creative, street level ideas that surprise, delight, and generate authentic word of mouth. Our teams then carefully route that consumer attention into actionable data for efficient post event follow up.
Brands must also closely evaluate how they support localized retail inventory during these campaigns. We provide Mobile Sampling Tours that deliver your brand directly to audiences through on the go experiences. This drives trial and product awareness while gathering valuable field intelligence. Proper execution means that demo-centric trade show booth design actually converts visitors into qualified customers.
When managing large scale retail programs, the physical transition of product requires precision. Through our Storage & Logistics service, we store your sampling product and event gear. We then ship, track, and coordinate delivery nationwide so every activation stays on schedule. This guarantees that your physical marketing investments never fail due to missing supplies or delayed freight.
We blend physical and digital elements by integrating QR codes and mobile technology into a cohesive layer across retail and tour experiences. This integrated approach is not a standalone service but an upgrade we apply to many types of experiential work to drive connected results. This tactical approach directly supports consistent retail media expansion and secure lead capture. By controlling both the physical space and the digital handover, we prevent valuable consumer engagement from disappearing after the event ends.
The summit recap highlighted several distinct examples of brands investing heavily in community execution. Land O’Lakes worked with Imagine Entertainment and Ron Howard to shape rural portrayals in entertainment. Radhika Duggal, CMO of Major League Soccer, cited local watch parties as a practical method to build community in an AI-influenced environment. The recap also reported that the New York Giants' Eli Manning-hosted digital interview series accumulated 150 million video views over five years.
While the summit did not report the direct sales impact of those initiatives, our own field experience demonstrates how disciplined execution drives specific outcomes. A VP of Marketing in the CPG beverage category told us: "Robbie, your leadership and vision turned our campaign into something truly special. The Makai team brought our new drink to life with energy, creativity, and flawless execution. Thanks to you, our brand isn't just tasted, it's remembered."
Our team's approach transformed their product launch into a memorable brand experience. We managed the entire physical process so the brand could focus on its broader market strategy. Through our Engagement Marketing service, we turn audiences into participants with live and digital experiences that invite people to try, share, and act. This level of operational control allows marketing leaders to confidently link live events to their core business metrics.
When we manage end to end Costco roadshows, we bring brands to shoppers through live demos, real conversations, and measurable sales impact. This focus on clear commercial outcomes separates a strategic physical presence from a temporary promotional stunt. CPG brands rely on these retail demonstrations to generate low friction trial and secure long term retail placement. A disciplined strategy ensures that every poured cup and handed sample directly supports the broader revenue target.
As physical media takes a central role in holistic planning, marketing leaders face a fundamental operational test. Does your current field execution possess the logistical discipline required to transition from a simple budget line item to the core foundation of your revenue strategy?
Leaving physical brand interactions disconnected from digital systems frequently causes inefficient post event follow up and CRM routing. Makai prevents this data loss through our Retail Demonstrations service. Trained brand ambassadors drive in store sales through real conversations and product trials. We create high impact experiential marketing campaigns that turn fleeting consumer interactions into qualified leads for premium CPG brands.
30 Years Experiential & Retail Activation Partner for CPG & Beverage Brands | Multi-Market Demos, Roadshows & Costco/Club Programs That Actually Sell
